Wal-Mart has been thinking about putting at least three large stores in the District of Columbia and had spent a chunk of money in the planning phase. Meanwhile, the D.C. City Council has been considering minimum-wage legislation that would require certain large retailers, including Wal-Mart, to pay its workers at least $12.50 per hour (or 50% greater than the base minimum wage now applicable to all employers subject to the District's minimum-wage law). Wal-Mart has said that if the minimum-wage proposal became law it would pull the plug on the planned stores. As explained in this article by Mike DeBonis, yesterday the D.C. Council voted 8-5 to approve the minimum-wage hike. The law could still be vetoed by D.C. mayor Vincent Gary and must pass through a congressional review period before it becomes effective.
